An entirely new species of snake has been found in Fiji, The Fiji Times reports. The snake was discovered at Vuna on Taveuni, the third-largest island in Fiji. According to reptile expert Dr. George Zug of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., the snake is unlike any other described species of snake in the world. It is a burrowing snake with a length of roughly 25 cm. It seems to be blind; probably an adaptation to its burrowing life style.

According to a survey undertaken by NatureFiji-MareqetiViti in conjunction with the Taveuni Paradise Resort, the snake is fairly well-known among the farmers of southern Taveuni since they encounter it when digging in their gardens and in the forest. (NatureFiji-MareqetiViti is a domestic NGO working with conservation and sustainable management in Fiji.)